Jim Fifi: Salvation Army volunteer also was a recipient

Tuesday

Dec 23, 2008 at 12:01 AM

Charlie Patton

As he rings a bell outside the Winn-Dixie at Beach Boulevard and St. Johns Bluff Road today, Jim Fifi will be part of a 118-year-old tradition.Fifi joined the ranks of bell ringers this year and is one of about 3,400 volunteers who have worked at 40 locations in Jacksonville this holiday season, said Joan Bender, kettle coordinator for the Salvation Army in Jacksonville.What makes Fifi somewhat unusual among the Red Kettle volunteers is that he has been a recipient of Salvation Army help: He received a Thanksgiving basket this year.Born with spina bifida, a birth defect that involves the incomplete development of the spinal cord, Fifi has been in a wheelchair since age 9.He lives with his mother in a mobile home park on Beach Boulevard and relies on Social Security and Medicaid for his income and medical insurance.A native Georgian who grew up in Canada and moved to the Jacksonville area 20 years ago, he describes himself as a huge fan of football and stock-car racing."I'm a diehard [Dale] Earnhardt Jr. fan," he said.He also loves playing Call of Duty 2 on his PlayStation 2.He tries to keep in shape by lifting weights, he said.Meanwhile, he has been having a terrific time ringing his bell."I'm able to get out of the house and meet new people," said Fifi, who will be at his post from 4 to 7 p.m. today. "And I like that I'm not just there for me. I'm helping other people."Bender said Fifi "represents so many people who are amazed" by how rewarding it is to participate in the Red Kettle program.The Salvation Army's iconic Red Kettle program, a major fundraiser for the organization, traces its beginnings to San Francisco in 1891. In order to feed the poor on Christmas Day, a Salvation Army captain put out a pot into which people could toss donations. By 1895, the idea had spread to 30 West Coast cities and to Boston, where 150,000 Christmas dinners were provided to the needy.Bender said she has been told that the Red Kettle program first came to Jacksonville in 1901, a few months after the Great Fire that devastated much of the city.She said her favorite quote about the program is: "When you put money in our kettle, expect change."All funds raised by Jacksonville bell ringers stay in Jacksonville, Bender said.charlie.patton@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4413

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